Our Society on the Topic of 'Kodokush'i, or Lonely Deaths

Nora Mayral Boyle
Mr. Roddy
Anthropology
The Different Perceptions of Death Across Different Societies
When one dies, with nobody by their side, It’s perceived to much different from somebody who died with company. An unwitnessed dead makes less sense than one that was seen. If there was a witness to a death, then the viewer has a high chance of knowing what happened, a higher chance of having known that person before the tragedy struck. In Japan, they even have a word for this unfortunate form of death. Kodokushi, which translates to lonely death. 
Lonely deaths, are an unknown epidemic. Just in Japan, 32,000 people are reported to die lonely deaths. One lonely death every six seconds. In the article, the author sites the story of an unprecedented lonely death. The remains of a man were found, in his own home, that was reported to be over 3 years old. The lights had been on, so neighbors assumed he was home, and his family was no longer in contact with him. Life had gone on for 3 years, for everybody else, yet they didn’t notice he was missing. Stories like this seem like they’re out of a horror novel. They’re terrifying and depressing. Society has created such a world where things like this can happen. The old are left alone, to be forgotten. 
Going back to the subject of Japan, Japan is often considered to be a dying society. The elderly outweigh the young, and birth rates are at their lowest since 1899 when such data started being taken.  Over the next, 20 years, their population is estimated to drop by over 25 million people. Still, many places in Japan find ways to “take care” of their ‘lonely’ elders. In some facilities, they have people, named minseins, or welfare officers/members to occasionally knock on doors, check-in on people. However, this system doesn’t exactly prevent lonely deaths. It’s simply watching over them Still, even those who did die a lonely death are able to ben found sooner. 

Despite it spreading, these lonely deaths are almost unknown. They aren’t acknowledged. These lonely deaths have remained quiet.  

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